The She-Creature (1956)

A mysterious hypnotist reverts his beautiful assistant back into the form of a prehistoric sea monster that she was in a past life.

Director:

Edward L. Cahn

Writers:

Lou Rusoff (story), Lou Rusoff (screenplay)

Stars:

Chester Morris, Tom Conway, Cathy Downs

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chester Morris	...	Dr. Carlo Lombardi
Tom Conway	...	Timothy Chappel
Cathy Downs	...	Dorothy Chappel
Lance Fuller	...	Dr. Ted Erickson
Ron Randell	...	Police Lt. Ed James
Frieda Inescort	...	Mrs. Chappel
Marla English	...	Andrea
Frank Jenks	...	Detective Sergeant
El Brendel	...	Olaf
Paul Dubov	...	Johnny
William Hudson	...	Bob (as Bill Hudson)
Flo Bert	...	Marta
Jeanne Evans	...	Mrs. Brown
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Doctor
Jack Mulhall	...	Lombardi's Lawyer

Storyline

Using hypnosis, Dr. Carlo Lombardi claims that he can have his patients regress and recover memories from their past lives, thereby proving that reincarnation exists. He also claims that the spirit of these past lives can be brought forth to take physical form.. A series of violent murders by a creature that seems to disappear into the sea suggests that Lombardi's claim may be correct. The medical and scientific community believe him to be a complete fraud but one enterprising businessman sees the opportunity to make a small fortune with Lombardi's ability.

---

Plot Keywords:

hypnotist | creature | reincarnation | trance | wheel of fortune | 

---

Taglines:

The STARTLING disclosures about REINCARNATION and AGE REGRESSION!

---

Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

AIP did not have enough money to entirely finance the film, so the company asked Alex Gordon if he could contribute the remainder. Israel Berman, a colleague of Gordon's brother Richard, knew a financier called Jack Doppelt, who agreed to provide $40,000 of the film's $104,000 budget.

---

Goofs

At 1 hour 12 min a series of monster foot prints appear in the sand, one print is going the wrong way.

---

Quotes

Andrea Talbott: [to Lombardi] I hate this place. I hate the sound of the ocean. I hate you.

---

Connections

Featured in AIP: The Cool and the Crazy (1986)

User Reviews

"I Feel Her Presence, Even Now!"...

Psychic / occult practitioner / carnival performer, Dr. Carlo Lombardi (Chester Morris) has been dabbling in hypnosis and age regression with grim, tragic results. It appears that something has been coming out of the sea and killing the locals. Lombardi's cohort, Andrea (Marla English) is able to go into deep trances, allegedly going back to some primordial state. Is she somehow responsible for a string of terrible deaths? THE SHE-CREATURE is a fairly dull affair, w/ the monster making only a few, scant appearances in her own movie! Said monster's costume is ludicrous, but gets points for originality. Lombardi's ultra-serious, cantankerous manner is amusing. He looks like he could either fly apart, or lift off and sail heavenward at any moment! For her part, the beautiful Ms. English plays her role as a suffering "slave" of her "master", w/ as much aplomb as possible, considering the subject matter. Co-stars the unmistakable Tom Conway as the greed-driven promoter, Timothy Chappel. Overall, worth a watch on a rainy Saturday afternoon. BONUS POINTS FOR: Spotting the rubber band around the poor dog's mouth to make him look mean! Grrr! I'd be mad too!...

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

The She-Creature

Filming Locations:

Paradise Cove - 28128 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden State Productions, Selma Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1